Behind the Scenes: Character Development: The Easy

Have you ever enjoyed a movie or tv show and been so caught up in the chemistry between the characters on screen, only to be shocked to learn in an interview that behind the scenes the actors hated each other? The hero in your favorite show is actually a jerk when the camera isn’t on. He shows up late, he brings his nasty attitude, or he’s so drugged up that it’s a wonder they were able to film at all. Or the leading lady known for stealing hearts on screen is the most difficult diva on the face of the earth.

Well, let me let you in on a little secret we authors know all too well: the same can be said for literary characters. You’d think that with the written word, the author was the one in charge. But, Nooooooooooo. Nothing could be further from the truth.
You see, there’s a reason why readers often comment on how real the character felt. Or how the characters just came to life. It’s because they ARE real. And like real people, they have different attitudes and different work ethics. The author’s job then is learning how to connect with each character so that they can find their story and share it with everyone else.

I’ve worked with some diverse characters recently and I want to share my experiences with you. I want this to be a fun and encouraging experience for everyone.
For the reader, I want to show you some insider information about some of your favorite characters. I’m going to show you which ones were easy to work with and which ones I had to coax out of their shell.
For the fellow author, I want to laugh along and share the common experiences together as well as share some techniques that have been successful for me.
I intend to share these fun details in a new blog series that I’ve titled, Behind the Scenes: Character Development. You’ll find a new installment to the series on the first Monday of every month. Today, we’ll kick it off with those Easy-Peasy Characters.

An easy to work with character would be a character that needs no coaxing. Someone who is always ready to share the details with me. Someone whose voice appeared in my head so naturally that I knew them from the first moment.

If you’ve read my series, it should not surprise you that Claire Harper would top the list of easy characters. Claire is known for being a chatty person and she’s exactly the same off the page. I never had to beg her to reveal scenes to me; she was always ready to talk. Her brother Frank is just like her, although he’s less chatty on page. From day one, Frank was willing to sit down and tell his story.
Their father, Olen, is known for being extremely quiet so it might surprise you to know that he’s extremely easy-going. Olen is most known for being laid back and delivering a timely one-liner. He’s often seen sitting quietly as everyone, mostly Claire, commands the entire scene with her chatter, but then seemingly out of nowhere, he speaks. And in that moment, he says so much more than anyone else in the room. And behind the scenes, Olen is the exact same way. He’s quiet by nature, but there’s an openness about him that makes him easy to work with.
Ralph Williams was another easy character for me to work with. He’s not as chatty as Claire by any means, but then few are. But there’s such an openness about him. He doesn’t feel the need to hold back or hide from me. The beautiful thing is when you get two very open and willing characters together they simply write the scenes themselves.
Eddie and Rachel Chandler, Danny-Ray Coffer, and Jimmy Allen were all easy characters to work with. Their roles were smaller but I didn’t have to find them. When it was time to step onto the page, they were ready and willing to do their part. No questions asked.

Chapters 5 and 15 are both very popular scenes from In the Shadow of Thy Wings. Both are between Claire and Ralph and go down as the absolute easiest scenes I’ve ever written. These two know how to play off of each other so naturally. If only all scenes were written so effortlessly. Lol
Speaking of playing well off of each other, Claire and Frank have a natural talent for smooth scenes together. Being close friends and twins may have helped. 😉 My favorite and most effortless scene between the two is found at the end of chapter 13 of In the Shadow of Thy Wings.

I may have given you the illusion that all characters are simple and my job is pretty easy peasy. And for that, I’m sorry. Lol My job is anything but. I started you off with the easy guys first. But next month, I’ll introduce you to one of my more difficult characters. You’re gonna love it, I promise!

I’d love to hear back from my readers. Were you surprised to see some of these characters on my list for easy to work with characters or had you imagined them this way all along? Are you confused about not seeing someone on there that you thought would have made it?